Wire-reel.



PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907. M. J. WEIRIGH.

WIRE REEL.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T.29,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Tm: NORRIS PETERS cm, wnsnmaralv, u. c,

PATENTBD JUNE 11, l907. M. J. WBIRICH.

WIRE REEL.

APPLIOATION FILED 001'. 29, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1m; uonms PETERS ca. wasmnwrrv, 1'

. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907. M. J. WEIRICH.

WIRE REEL.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.29, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

,iql

l/Wines o I THE NORRIS PETERS ca., WASHINGTON, 1:. c,

MARTIN J. WEIRICI-I, OF BARABOO, l/VISCONSIN.

WIRE-REEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed October 29,1906. Serial No- 341,164,

To all whom it nmy concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN J. WEIRIOH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baraboo, in the county of Sauk and State of Wisconsin, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in ire-Reels, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawing.

Lily invention relates to improvements in machines for reeling andunreeling fencing wire or the like; and it consists in the novelconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter describedand claimed.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character bymeans of which wire fences may be quickly and easily constructed ortaken down.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of thischaracter with means whereby wire or the like may be evenly wound upon areel or drum.

Another object of the invention is to improve and simplify theconstruction and operation of machines of this character and therebyrender the same more effective for the purposes intended. Y

Further objects and advantages of the invention, as well as thestructural features by means of which they are attained will be madeclear by an examination of the following specification taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wire fencing machine thesupporting wheel upon the near side being removed; Fig. 2 is a top planview of the machine, parts being broken away to more clearly illustratethe construction; Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation; Fig. 4 is a detailvertical longitudinal section through the front cross bar; Fig. 5 is abottom plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a sideelevation of a slightly modified form of the invention in which the wiredrum or reel is driven from the axle of the supporting wheels; Fig. 7 isa detail vertical transverse section showing the driving connectionsbetween the axle and the wire reel or drum shaft; Fig. 8 is a detailtransverse section showing the parts of the device at its front end;Fig. 9 is a detail section showing the friction clutch or brake devicebetween the reel shaft and the sprocket pinion; and Figs. 10 and 11 aredetail views of the pawland-ratchet connection between the axle and thesupporting and drive wheel.

My improved machine comprises a portable side beams or bars 2 and hassecured upon its underface bearings 6 for an axle 7 upon the ends ofwhich latter are journaled supporting wheels 8. The rear cross bar 3 isdisposed beneath the side beams 2 and has its project ing ends reducedand secured in mortises.

formed in the lower ends of two uprights 9 arranged upon the outer sidesof the beams 2, as clearly shown in the drawings.

A front steering and supporting wheel 10 is journaled in the forkedlower end 11 of a vertical shaft 12 which is rotatably mounted in andprojects through the front cross bar 4. Upon the squared upper end ofthe shaft 12 is fixed a laterally projecting arm 13 pivoted at its outerend to the forward end of a link or rod 14 which extends longitudinallyand has its rear end pivoted upon the lower end of a hand lever 15. Thelatter is pivoted at 16 in the bifurcated end of an arm 17 whichprojects rearwardly from an attaching plate 18 secured upon one of theuprights 9. The upper end of the lever is shaped to provide a handlewhich when oscillated will rock the forked shaft 12 and thereby swingthe steering wheel 10 for the purpose of guiding the machine.

Adapted for engagement with the periphery of one of the supportingwheels 8 is a brake-shoe 19 carried by a crank arm 20 on one end of thetransverse extending shaft21 journaled in bearings 22 secured upon theundersides of the longitudinal beams 2. The intermediate portion of theshaft 21 is bent to form a crank 23 to which is pivotally connected by astaple 24 or the like one end of a brake-operating bar or rod 25. Thisbar 25 has its rear end shaped to provide a handle and its intermediateportion is formed with a' longitudinal series of apertures 26, any oneof which is adapted to receive a pin or stud 27 projecting verticallyfrom the top of the cross bar 3 upon which latter the brake-operatingbar 25 is supported. It will be seen that when the rear or handle end ofthe bar is elevated to disengage it from the pin 27 the bar 25 may bemoved longitudinally to rock the shaft 21 and thereby swing thebrake-shoe 19 into or out of engagement with the wheel 8. When the bar25 is lowered and one of its apertures 26 engaged. with the pin or stud27 the rock shaft 21 and the brake-shoe 19 will be locked in theiradjusted position.

The upper ends of the uprights 9 are formed with bearing recesses 28 inwhich. rotate the journals 29 of the shaft of a wire reel or drum 30,said ournals being retained in the recesses 28 by cross pins or keys 31,as shown in Figs. 1, 2. Theireelj 30 comprises two heads formed. bycrossed bars united by the shaft 31 of the reel and by connecting rodsupon which the wire or the like 33 is wound. Upon one of the projectingends of the shaft 31is mounted a crank handle 34 by means of which thewheel may be rotated to wind or unwind the wire.

In order to retard the rotation of the reel I provide upon one end ofthe shaft 31 a friction brake-wheel 35 which is engaged by a frictionbrake-band 36. The latter passes over the top of the wheel 35 and hasone of its ends secured to a laterally-projecting arm 37 formed upon theattaching plate 18. The other end of the brake-band 36 is secured to oneend of a coil spring 38 which has its other end connected to a lever 39.The latter is pivoted intermediate its ends in a bracket 40 secured uponthe uprights 9 and has its rear end extended and formed with a handle41. Upon this rear end of the lever 39 is pivoted a segmental-shapedratchet bar 42 the teeth of which are adapted to engage the upper edgeof the arm. 37 for the purpose of holding the lever 39 against movement.It will be noted upon reference to Fig. 1 that when the handle 41 ofthis lever is ele vated its forward end is lowered and the coil spring38 is stretched to cause the friction brake-band 36 to tighten its gripupon the periphery of the wheel 35. At the same time the ratchet bar 42moves upwardly upon the plate 37 and holds the lever 39 in its adjustedposition. This construction enables any desired tension to be placedupon the shaft of the reel for the purpose of retarding the rota tion ofthe latter.

When the wire on the reel is unwound from the same in making a wirefence or in doing similar work, it passes through a stationary guide eye43 arranged centrally upon the front cross bar 4; but when the wire iswound upon said reel it is passed through a shiftable guide device 44which is mounted for transverse sliding movement upon the front crossbar 4 so that the wire may be evenly wound upon the reel. This device 44comprises a vertically projecting block 46 which has its lower reducedend extended and slidable in a slot or opening 47 formed in the bar 4.Flanges or plates 48, 49 are arranged upon the block 46 and slidablyengage the upper and lower faces of the bar 4. In the upper portion ofthe block 46 is formed an openguide sleeve 50 through which the wirepasses. This sleeve 50 has its large end at the front so that wire andparticularly barbed wire will pass readily through it. Depending fromthe bottom of the block 46 is a headed stud 51 adapted to be engaged bythe forked end 52 of a plate or sleeve 53 secured upon one end of a rod54. The latter extends longitudinally and through a recess 55 formed inthe top of the cross bar 3. A strap or plate 56 arranged upon the top ofthe bar 3 retains the bar or rod 54 in said recess and a pivot 57passing vertically through the strap 56, the bar 55 and the bar 3 pivotsthe bar or rod 54 so that the latter may swing in a lateral orhorizontal plane for the purpose of sliding the head 46 transversely inthe slot 47 of the bar 4. The rear end of the bar 4 carries a metalplate 58 which is pivoted in the bifurcated end of an operating lever59. The latter extends laterally and is provided with a pin or stud 60adapted to engage a transverse rack 61 secured upon the end of one ofthe beams 9. The lever 59 extends through a guide 62 secured upon thebeam 9 and having a portion which overhangs said lever and rack, asclearly shown in Fig. 1. When the lever 59 is elevated to disengage itspin 60 from the rack 61 it may be shifted transversely for the pur- 9 5pose of oscillating the bar or lever 54 and thereby reciprocating thehead 46. In winding wire upon the reel the crank 34 is turned and thehead 46 is slowly reciprocated by shifting the bar or lever 49 so thatthe wire will be evenly distributed upon the reel.

In Figs. 6 to 11, inclusive, of the drawings, I have shown a slightlymodified form of the invention in which the reel shaft 29 is driven fromthe axle 7 so that. it will be operated when the machine is drawnforwardly by draft animals hitched to its front end or in any othersuitable manner. As shown in Fig. 7, a sprocket wheel 75 has its hubfixed by means of a cross-pin 76 upon the axle 7, and the hub 77 of oneof the wheels 8 is loosely mounted upon said. axle. The hub 77 has aconcentric recess formed in its outer face, in which recess is anannular series of ratchet teeth 78, as shown in Fig. 11. This ratchet isengaged by a pair of spring actuated pawls 79 pivoted upon a plate ordisk 80 which is secured by a cross pin 81 upon the axle 7. The wheel 8is thus permitted to turn in a rearward direction without rotating theaxle 7, but when it is turned in a forward direction by the forwardmovement of the machine it imparts its motion to the axle and hence tothe sprocket wheel 75. The latter is connected by a sprocket chain 82 toa sprocket pinion 83 loosely mounted upon a sleeve or bushing 84 whichis fixed by a crosspin upon the reel shaft 29, as clearly shown 65 ingin which is mounted a tapered metallic in Fig. 9. The pinion 83 isformed upon one side with a concentric enlargement having an annulargroove or channel 84* of V-shape in cross section. This groove 84? isadapted to be engaged by friction jaws 85 formed on the ends of a pairof levers 86 which are pivoted intermediate their ends between ears orlugs provided on the enlarged outer end of the bushing 84. The levers 86have their outer ends formed with transverse alining openings to receivethe ends of a screw rod 87 on which is arranged an adjusting nut 88.Confined between the latter and one of the levers 86 is a coil spring 89which tends to force the friction or brake jaws into frictionalengagement with the groove 84 It will be seen by adji sting the, wingnut 88 the movement imparted to the reel shaft by the pinion 83 may bevaried, as desired.

In order to enable a team of draft animals to be readily connected tothe front end of the machine I provide a loop 90 upon a cross bar 91connecting the upper ends of uprights 92 arranged upon the longitudinalbars or beams 2 and suitably supported by inclined braces 93.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A machine of the character described comprising a portable supportingframe, wire reeling means thereon, a guide upon said frame, a headslidably mounted in said guide, a wire guide upon said head, a pin uponsaid head, and a lever mounted upon said frame and having a forked endto engage said pin.

2. A machine of the character described comprising a portable supportingframe, wire reeling means thereon, a guide upon said frame, a headslidably mounted in said guide, a wire guide upon said head, a pin uponsaid head, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends upon said frame andhaving a forked end to engage said pin, an operating lever pivoted uponthe opposite end of the first mentlonec lever, a rack upon said frame,and a pm upon said operating lever for engagement with said rack.

3. A machine of the character described comprising a frame having sidebars connected by front and rear cross bars, an aXle mounted upon saidrear cross bar, supporting wheels upon said axle, a steerin wheelcarried by said front cross bar, a rodk shaft having a crank and a crankarm, a brake' shoe upon said crank arm for engagement with one of saidsupporting wheels, a pin projecting vertically from said rear cross bar,a brake operating lever pivoted to said crank and formed with a seriesof apertures for engagement with said pin, and wire reeling andunreeling means mounted upon said frame.

4. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, wheels forsupporting the same, a reel, a shaft therefor, a rotary element uponsaid shaft and provided with a friction surface, driving connectionsbetween said elements and one of said wheels, a lever having a portionto engage said friction surface, and means for adjusting said lever.

- 5. A- machine of the character described, comprising a frame, wheelsfor supporting the same, a reel, a shaft therefor, a rotary element uponsaid shaft and provided with a friction surface, driving connectionsbetween said element and one of said wheels, a pair of levers havingportions to engage said friction surface, a screw rod arranged betweensaid levers, a spring upon said rod, and a nut upon said rod foradjusting said spring.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

MARTIN J. WEIRICH. Witnesses:

JOHN TREIBER FRED. DAHNKE.

